Battleship Cove marks 50th anniversary of start of Vietnam War

Battleship Cove, as the city's official war memorial to the Vietnam War, hosted Vietnam History Day on Saturday.

Deborah Allard Herald News Staff Reporter @debsallard

FALL RIVER — Battleship Cove, as the city’s official war memorial to the Vietnam War, hosted Vietnam History Day on Saturday.

It was a time for veterans to remember and for new generations to learn about the war that started 50 years ago on Aug. 2.

The day was free for all Vietnam veterans.

Visitors were allowed to peek inside a Bell UH-IM Iroquois helicopter that had two tours in Vietnam, and climb aboard the USS Joseph Kennedy Jr. A living history group was on hand, along with family fun workshops.

Veteran Peter Santangelo, a crew chief in Vietnam, showed off the helicopter nicknamed “Huey” to kids and adults interested to see inside.

The Huey could travel up to 148 mph and climb at a rate of 1,400 feet per minute.

Santangelo said the event was a good reminder to all.

“Freedom isn’t free,” Santangelo said.

Between June 1965 and May 1968, John J. Sbrega, a highly decorated Air Force second lieutenant, flew more than 1,800 missions during the war.

Sbrega, now president of Bristol of Community College, gave a presentation and overview of the Vietnam War in the PT boat building Saturday afternoon.

Sbrega spoke about how events during World War II, such as the bombing of Pear Harbor, set the stage for the Vietnam War. He spoke about the myth that America lost the war.

The Vietnam War began with a firing battle between the United States and North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. Those actions led President Lyndon B. Johnson to offer assistance to Asian colonies threatened by communist aggression. The goal of the United States was to stop the spread of communism to other countries.

Sbrega said there has been a clash between supporters and non-supporters of the Vitenam War that persists to today. He said the war had a psychological effect on the times. People wanted the war to end and wanted the United States to stop sending troops, similarly to today’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“It was not a happy time for this country,” Sbrega said. “It drained America’s will.”

More than 9 million American troops were sent to Vietnam. Some 58,000 died. Another 75,000 were severely disabled, and nearly 6,000 lost limbs. More than 2,000 are still missing in action.

“My biggest complaint is (from) people who say the U.S. lost,” Sbrega said. “We were gone. I don’t know how we could have lost the war.”

Sbrega said the United States never lost a battle. In fact, things were improving when American troops were pulled out of Vietnam in 1973.